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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' R. PFEIL. RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 501,100. Patented July 11, 1893.

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(No Model.)

R PFEIL RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 501,100. I Patented July 11 Q .zwsuroe 0' v 3?,

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RAILWAY SIGN LINGAPPARATUS. No. 501,100. Patented July 11, 1893},

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INVENTOR- BY- %EY1 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4..

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I RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS. I No. 501,100. Patented July 11, 1893;

INVENTOH BY A m/732m NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT PFEIL, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SIEMENS & HALSKE, OF

SAME PLACE. I

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,100, dated July 11, 1893.

Application filed December Zl, 1892. Serial No. 455,940- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT PFEIL, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at the city of Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a railway signaling apparatus for automatically setting the signal device or semaphore by the train after the train enters the block or section; and to this end my invention consists principally of mechanism for actuating the signal to be operated by a weight raised by a lever and released by passing trains, said lever and weight being connected to the semaphore, or other signal device, by what I term double-pull wires, rods or chains, so arranged in connection with a rotating or vertically movable frame, that the semaphore, set at danger by the train, requires renewed operation to indicate a clear track to an on-coming train.

The invention also consists of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts,

all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made: Figure 1 shows a complete signal constructed andarranged in accordance with my invention, the parts being in position to hold the semaphore to indicate a clear track. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the vertically movableweighted frame, the track contact and the sliding bar to hold the frame in elevated position. Fig. 3 shows a modification wherein the weighted frame is pivoted to the main upright. Fig. 4 shows a modification of the latter type, the mechanism being arranged below the track. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show modifications of Figs. 2 and 4, with electrically operated means for releasing the weighted frames: and Fig. 11 shows an arrangement wherein the signal post or support is placed between the rail contact and the signal house or station.

In Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 10, avertically movable frame A is held by a strong loop a or otherwise to a suitable main support or upright B and said frame is provided at its lower end with a weight b and at each end with a roller 0 0 over which the double-pull wires or chains 0 0 pass and to which the said Wires are fastened. These wires are connected, as shown in Fig. 1, to the semaphore D pivoted on the support D, one each side of its pivot, and pass thence by rollers d d and d 01' over and under the said rollers c 0 respectively, and thence by rollers d d and d d to the head 01 of the lever E to which they are fastened and by which the semaphore may be set to indicate danger or clear track, as desired.

The weighted frame A is supported in its elevated position by alocking device or lever F, a lateral arm f of which reaches to a point adjacent to one of the rails of the track and Where rests upon it a contact piece f, pivoted to the rail or other suitable support, and which when depressed by the train, forces the locking. lever from beneath the frame A, and permits the same to drop, the same being drawn down by the influence of the weight b, whereupon the upper wire will be relaxed and the lower wire will be drawn upon by the lower roller c,'whereby the semaphore will be set to horizontal danger position. The same result is obtained by the arrangement of the rotating cross-like frames G, shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 9, pivoted to the uprights B. Over and under rollers h h and h h thereon as shown the doub1e-pull wires are so led and fastened to said rollers that by the rotation of the frame one wire is relaxed,while the other is drawn along, thus setting the semaphore. The diagonal upwardly projecting arm G of the rotating frame in this form is provided with a weight b which acts to turn the same and to set the signal, whenever the lower end of the frame is released by the depression of the rail contact f which operates the locking device F and releases the rotating frame.

To prevent useless wear of the rail-contact during the passage of the train, I have provided an arrangement by which the contact is held in its depressed position after the release has been effected and the frame started in its movement. For this purpose the lower end of the rotating frame is formed with a segment G which swings in contact with the locking-lever and holds the same depressed until the frame is returned to its normal po sition by operating the lever E to set the signal back to indicate a clear track. With the vertically movable frames this object is accomplished by a projection g secured to the edge of the frame in position to drop back of the locking device when the frame has been released. To prevent further release of the vertically movable frame when running over the wheel-contact, as is necessary in maneuvering trains when the signal is in danger position, I tightly connect in the upper wire a bar 11, see Fig. 2, which can be moved horizontally in cleats on the main stationary upright. 011 this bar the vertically movable frame rests by means of a dog or latch j so that the frame cannot descend, despite a possible release of the locking-lever. signal be brought to position to indicate clear track, the upper wire moving to the left will carry along the bar Hso that the notch j therein will come beneath the latch j and permit the frame to drop.

In Figs. 4 and 8 the signal mechanismis ar ranged below the level of the track, and a hook Z is employed to retain the pivoted frame in clear track position, and this hook is adapted to be released bya lever Z interposed between said hook and the rail contact as shown, and in these figures aspring actuated latch Z is employed to engage the lever Z to permit the continued depressed position of I the rail contact to be maintained in maneuverin g or shunting, while the signal is at dan-,

ger position. The latch Z is moved back to release lever Z by means of an arm Z on the pivoted frame, when said frame is returned to normal position.

In Figs. 5 and 10 the vertically movable;

frame is locked in normal position by a centrally pivoted lever m formed with a central hook m which engages with a hook m at the upper end of the vertically movable frame: The rail contact in Fig. 5 acts upon one end stud m thereon to strike the lower arm of the said bent lever m which acts to move the upper end thereof out from beneath the said lever m, whereupon a spring m will act to turn said lever m and cause it to lift the rail serves to reset the rail contact and cause notch or to engage the pivoted frame when the frame is brought back to the position shown.

The disengagement of the locking levers which hold the weighted frames may be ef- If then the fected by the passing train, either mechanically or electrically. In the first case the wheel flanges of the passing train press down the wheel contact located next to the rail, whereby the locking pawl is disengaged and the weighted frame permitted to act. With an electrical disengagement a curren t is closed as in Figs. 7 and 9,01 opened, when operating with a continuous current, as in Fig. 10, by means of a wheel contact 0 produced by a depression of the rail, which energizes or cleenergizes an electro-magnet M, which acts to disengage the locking lever from the frame and permits it to drop to set the semaphore to danger position, The electrical release can be operated from a distance by extending the circuit to keysN, as shown in Figs. 5,6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

In Fig. 11 the releasing device is arranged between the settingleverE and the weighted frame. In this arrangement the wires 0 C are led overtwo rollers 19 19 located at the two ends of a centrally pivoted bar 19 arranged on the signal post D, and from there pass over the rollers of the pivoted frame G and thence to a fixed post Q to which both wires are fastened. The bar 19' is connected by wires each side of its pivot to the semaphore, as shown, and the wires 0 0 pass over the four rollers it i i as shown, to cause the turning of the said bar and the operation of the signal by and through the action of the double-pull upon the wires effected by the movement of the frame G,as above described.

The latter arrangement is especially adapted for use in outgoing signals, and instead of frame, such as shown in Fig. 3. These piv- .otedor verticallymovables frames can also be used in multiple signals or semaphores, as a frame is to be interposed for each signal at the corresponding point which when re leased actuates the double wire pull in such a direction that the danger position of the signal is produced.

Figs. 4, 6 and 7 show the pivoted frame G formed with a diagonalarm G on which the weight b is placed, andprovided with rollers g g over and around which the wires 0 C pass, as shown, so that in turning the upper wire will be relaxed and the lower wire simultaneously drawn along to actuate the signal.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway signal, the combination with double-pull wires attached to the signaling device, of a weighted frame connected with said wires and arranged to relax one and simultaneously draw upon the other, and a locking device to retain said frame, and a rail contact for actuating the locking device, substantially' as described.

2. In arailway signal, the combination with double-pull wires, a weighted frame connected with said wires to relax one and simultaneously draw upon the other, a locking device, and a rail contact for actuating said locking device, of means for holding the locking device away from the rail contact while the signal is at danger position, substantially as described. f

3. In a railway signal, the combination with double-pull wires, a weighted frame connected therewith, a locking device, and a rail contact for actuating said locking device, of a retainin g bar connected to one of the wires for holding the frame in elevated position, substantially as described.

4; The vertically movable and weighted frame A provided with rollers at its end, in combination with the double-pull wires 0, O, the rollers d d and 61 d the locking lever F, f and the rail contact, substantially as described.

5. The vertically movable fra'meA provided with alatch j, in combination with the doublepull wires, the locking lever, the rail contact and the bar H connected in the wire and formed with a notch or recess j, substantially 25 as described.

6. The combination with the weighted frame, and the double wire pull, of a locking device, an electro-ma'gnet for operating said lockingdevice and electric circuit connected 30 to said magnet and a rail contact, whereby passing trains will cause the energization of the magnet, substantially as described.

7 In a railway signal, a locking lever and an electro-magnet for operating said lever, in combination with a weighted movable frame and a double-wire pull,'arranged to be operated by said frame, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in'the'presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT PFEIL.

Witnesses:

GUSTAV STENZEL, MAX WAGNER. 

